This just blew my mind. I think my jaw was open the whole time they were performing. For two reasons. 1) the obvious 'racism'. 2) the fact they were able to get as far as appearing on national TV without someone pausing for a second, to suggest that someone may actually find it offensive. Can they really plead ignorance? Is Australia really in such a bubble?

And what of the judge awarding them a 7??? From an artistic point of view, I thought their act was rubbish.

What I observed in my stay in Australia was:
only the Australian Aborigines are racially discriminated American-style down there.
Other dark-skinned people were mostly treated like any other.
So, they're not really thinking 'blackman' when they see Michael Jackson.
I didn't see West Indian or sub-continent cricketers treated poorly. Pommy bastards on the other hand...
Hard to make fun of Maori when they regularly hand out flogging in Rugby.

What I observed in my stay in Australia was:
only the Australian Aborigines are racially discriminated American-style down there.
Other dark-skinned people were mostly treated like any other.
So, they're not really thinking 'blackman' when they see Michael Jackson.
I didn't see West Indian or sub-continent cricketers treated poorly. Pommy bastards on the other hand...
Hard to make fun of Maori when they regularly hand out flogging in Rugby.

So, in a way, Americans are the ones in a bubble.

I just wanted to add that you can do something racist without actually being racist.

I'm sure they thought what they did was going to be hilarious. I mean, one guy is painted white, the others are painted black.

But you can't take one thing without the other. It doesn't work that way.

Another thing I remember from Australia:
There was a beer/trivia night.
Question was "Who's the first black man to win a F1 Grand Prix race?"
Nobody got that. Answer: "Lewis Hamilton"
There were protests "He's not black, he's a West Indian!"

Usain Bolt and Dwight Yorke are not considered black, either.
Well, in Australia anyway.

Last edited by andrewchon on Thu Oct 08, 2009 9:09 pm; edited 1 time in total

they were imitating the jacksons rather than imitating black people
none of the guys doing it are "white", not that that really makes a difference.
harry connick jr is a hypocrite
check this clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vtOt5mNEZE

I'm an Aussie....and I think that the clip was racist. It's also racist to say that "Australians discriminate against Aboriginals" or "Australians don't discriminate against Americans" or what have you. Because it's just rubbish. There are a lot of different people in Australia. Aboriginals are Australian people too. Yes, there is racism and discrimination in Australia...but there is in many other countries. I can say that I think that the network deliberately screened the act hoping for a bit of controversy. Controversy is just free advertising isn't it?

As for the scores from the judges...the 'talent' contest is a segment in the middle of a (very lame) variety show, and the contestants aren't supposed to be 'talented'. The judges give out deliberately high scores to try and keep the contest close...the female judge was just sticking to script.

It's a storm in a teacup in some ways...but it is really stupid, ignorant and backwards, and makes me feel like someone just did a poo on my cereal.

Just watched it. It's ignorant but I don't believe they were intentionally being racist. Like someone else said, they were imitating the "Jacksons" and not necessarily "black" people as a race. Still, they didn't have one producer, writer, or stage-hand that said, "Uh, guys..."???

Then again, I've seen numerous comedy skits of actors "putting on the makeup" and impersonating blacks on American tv... Darrell Hammond does a great impersonation of Jesse Jackson on SNL (complete with makeup) and I don't ever recall anyone complaining about that.